


Reign

by foxsea007



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Affairs, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Assassination Plot(s), Bodyguard, Childhood Friends, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, False Memories, Forbidden Love, Modern Royalty, Murder, Murder Mystery, Recovered Memories, Royalty, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:40:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21666643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxsea007/pseuds/foxsea007
Summary: After the brutal murder of her father, a princess is forced out of her own kingdom and into hiding after her kingdom was overtaken by her own betrothed's father, who rules the kingdom as a ruthless dictator. She finds safety and trust in only one other person, her bodyguard, Mr. Jones as they both slowly plan and gather followers to take back her throne and her kingdom. A Modern Royalty AU that no one really asked for...
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Original Character(s), Jughead Jones/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3
Collections: 6th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	1. Part One

This engagement dinner seemed never-ending as her eyes scanned the table at all the officials with their wives and children filled the room with laughter and drinks. An engagement party for the crowned princess… the only child of the King and Queen, and now merely a bartering tool to keep the kingdom united by promising her at birth to the kingdom’s head of military’s son, Nathaniel.

A sigh fell from the princess’s lips as she swirled the water in her glass. Her fiance stood next to her, his dark eyes scanning her features. Her eyes glanced upward, suddenly forcing a smile at her fiance, who happened to be her friend since childhood. Perhaps marriage wouldn’t be too difficult? They at least got along. 

“Lily?” he asked, stepping closer to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly, smiling more to hide her troubled thoughts. “I’m fine, Sweet Pea.” She almost knew he would catch her in a lie, having known her for years. And he wouldn’t be wrong, many dark thoughts were plaguing her… Her mother’s health was failing and the added stress of planning this wedding along with threats from other kingdoms trying to force her father to put her in some marriage to unite two kingdoms.

The use of the nickname she had given him all those years ago caused him to chuckle. “Lils,” he whispered. “Something’s on your mind.” His hand reached out and gently pushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

Sinking her teeth into her lower lip, she reached out and linked arms with him as she led him away from the crowd of people celebrating their engagement. “I rather talk somewhere with fewer people,” she mumbled. “If that’s okay.” She led him down the long corridor and to the long, spiraling staircase. Her hand slipped to his hand, pulling him up the stairs and towards the library. A place she found she could honestly think. No one ever seemed to disturb the room.

It was like a sanctuary. 

Bookshelves lined the walls, while each shelf was filled to the brim with books. She let out the breath she was holding as she released her grip on his hand. Her hand ran along a line of books, enjoying the feeling of each one under her fingertips. “Shut the door please,” she asked before taking a seat in one of the plush chairs near the fireplace. Sweet Pea tilted his head, but complied with her request, shutting the door before taking a seat next to her. “...I don’t understand how dad expects me to pretend to be happy when everything is crashing behind the scenes,” she mumbled.

“What’s going on?”

Her eyes fell to her hands resting in her lap as she gripped her white dress. “Mother is very sick,” she whispered. “Didn’t you notice she wasn’t here for the party?”

He swallowed hard. “What did they say?”

“That she may only have months left,” Lily said, her voice quivering now as she turned to face the fireplace to hide the tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “We weren’t supposed to tell anyone and doctors are working around the clock to help her, but-”

“But what?”

“I can’t manage to make myself happy for our engagement party… and I’m sorry for that,” she whispered.

Sweet Pea moved out of his chair to kneel at her feet. “Lily. You don’t have to pretend to be happy when you’re not,” he said. “I...I know this marriage isn’t ideal for you but-”

“I know my duty to my family,” she said, gently. “And at least we get along. It’s not the worst arrangement my father would have come up with…” A smile curled over Sweet Pea’s lips as he took her hand in his own. “And I’ll try to tell you what’s wrong… I suppose it is hard to hide stuff from you seeing as we’ve been friends since we were children.”

He opened his mouth to respond when screams were heard from the other room…

A gunshot.

Lily jumped to her feet as more screams echoed throughout the hallways. Sweet Pea pulled her close as he walked toward the door to the library. Cracking the door open, the couple could see crowds of people running in panic. “Pea,” she whimpered. “What happened?”

“Shh,” he whispered back to her before pushing the door further open. His grip on her wrist tightened as he led her through the crowd of panicked people as they headed back to the dance hall. He swung open the door to the ballroom, but stopped in his tracks, whipping around quickly to stop Lily from entering the room. “Lily… Don’t-”

“What?”

“Don’t look,” he said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, as she moved past him and immediately her breath caught in her throat at the sight. Her eyes widened as tears pried for release. Blood pooling around a body that had just been shot, soaking into the carpet and staining it red. “Who-” she whimpered, taking another step forward as her strength started to give out from under her. “Who-!”

Two arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady as she started to fall. Lily looked over her shoulder to see Sweet Pea slowly lowering her to the ground and to keep her away from the body while paramedics continued to do CPR. Blood began staining the white dress she wore as she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing now. Her hand slowly reached out to touch the hand of the person who had been shot, hoping her touch would somehow save him.

“Daddy,” she forced out.

“Lily we need to get you out of here,” Sweet Pea whispered into her ear.

Shaking her hand she pulled against her fiance’s grip in an attempt to get closer to her father’s body. “Daddy! Wake up!” she cried out. “Please!”

“Get the princess out of here!”

“Lily-” Sweet Pea said, his voice growing stern with her as he stood up and forcing her away from the body.

“Daddy!” she screamed again.

* * *

Lily shot up in bed, clutching the sheet around her body. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she raked her fingers through her hair, trying to catch her breath. Another dream… no. Another nightmare. Two weeks had passed, while her wedding planning was put on hold while the officials hurried the planning of her father’s funeral. She found herself still struggling to sleep. As soon as she would close her eyes each night, she would be haunted by the memories of blood and her father’s fading soul.

It was the only constant thing left in her life.

She had grown distant, cold… withdrawing from everyone. It wasn’t as if she was pushing everyone away on purpose, but she couldn’t find the strength to force herself out of bed anymore. She only seemed to socialize with her betrothed, Sweet Pea, and her own mother. But, she felt she had to keep many of her darker thoughts away from her mother while she battled her own demons.

A sigh fell from her lips as she grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table before laying back onto the plush pillows. A few missed messages from Sweet Pea asking about how she felt, which she quickly deleted before rolling over in bed and pulling the covers over her head. How she wished he would leave her alone…

“I just want to be left alone,” she murmured to herself. “Is that so hard to ask…”

Her grief toward her father’s death had begun to consume her. She felt overwhelmed having to take over her father’s duties in place of her mother due to her failing health. She used to have some control over her life but now… Her life no longer felt her own. Constant interruptions from officials about the country, constant interruptions from her wedding planner, the funeral planner, the doctors…

Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she quickly wiped them away, pulling the blanket tighter to herself. She couldn’t even have a moment to process her own grief… 

There was a knock on her door. 

“Sweet Pea if that’s you—“

“Princess Lillian,” a voice called out. “We need-“

“I’ll be out in a moment…”

A small sigh of relief that Sweet Pea was respecting her privacy for once, but all the while her officials...ugh. She forced herself out of bed and grabbed a robe, pulling it tightly against her body to hide the nightgown hidden underneath. The door slowly opened as a few of her male officials stepped inside. 

“What is it?” She asked. “I haven’t had time to change yet…”

“In lieu of recent events,” her official explained. “Nathaniel believes that a bodyguard is in order…”

Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me-what?!”

“He-“

“No I heard you,” she said sharply. “But who is he to order me a bodyguard? I’m the one-“

“He...he felt it was necessary,” her official continued.

Lily pushed past her officials as she made her way toward her fiance’s chambers. She threw open the double doors, storming inside the bedroom ignoring the other man in the room. “Sweet Pea!” she snapped, stepping between him and the unknown man. “Bodyguard?!”

A frustrated sigh escaped his throat as Sweet Pea rubbed his eyes. “Yes, Lily… I thought it was a good idea considering everything that’s happened in the last two weeks,” he replied, keeping his voice fairly calm.

“Absolutely not!”

“Lily-”

“I am not having some stranger following me around everywhere I go!” she hissed back to him.

“He-what, Lily no! Not everywhere!”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lily huffed as she shot a glare up toward her fiance. “No I know how paranoid you can get,” she interrupted again. “He’ll end up everywhere with me.”

Sweet Pea pinched the bridge of his nose as he motioned to the person behind Lily to come to his side. “Well given that display,” he explained. “You can see the princess can be a bit of a handful sometimes. Lily meet your bodyguard.”

Her face heated up in embarrassment as she had not even noticed the other person present in the room while she had shown such an unladylike display of behavior. She smacked Sweet Pea on the arm as she continued to glare up at him. “You could’ve said something!” she hissed at him.

“Forsythe,” Sweet Pea continued. “He will be accompanying you in your outings. By my orders.”

Her green eyes moved away from Sweet Pea as her gaze met a striking pair of blue ones staring back at her. She clutched the robe closer to herself, realizing what a state of dress she was in…

“Princess Lillian,” Mr. Jones said, bowing at her. Lily’s eyes caught his lingering for a moment over her frame before quickly falling to the ground. Was he staring at her?

“No sense in being formal now,” she whispered to him. “Hello. Forgive me for not realizing you were here as well…” His serious expression never waved, in fact, his eyes never moved away from her own… Never moved to try and catch a glimpse of anything that he shouldn’t. She stepped away from Mr. Jones before heading back out into the corridor. “I’ll see you at breakfast Sweet Pea,” she called out before heading back into her bedroom. 

“...make sure she stays out of trouble,” Sweet Pea said, quietly to the bodyguard, sending him to accompany the princess back to her bedroom. Nodding, Mr. Jones went off to follow her.

Lily reached her bedroom, glancing over her shoulder as she caught a glimpse of her bodyguard stalking from behind her. “He’s already sent you?” she asked, sighing a bit. “He truly thinks I’m going to get into some sort of trouble, doesn’t he?” She stepped inside her bedroom, leaving the door open for him to enter as well. She watched as his eyes scanned the room, taking in the sights around him. Sitting on her bed, she folded her hands in her lap. “Never been in a royal bedroom before bodyguard?”

“...Not quite,” he said, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Tilting her head at him, Lily’s eyes narrowed almost as if she was trying to read him. “...have you ever done this sort of thing before?” she asked.

“No Princess…”

Her eyebrows rose. “And my fiance picked you out of all the other men in our military? Someone with no experience with royalty?”

“I am not to disclose that information with the princess,” Mr. Jones responded.

Sighing, Lily stood up and walked over to her closet. She gently pulled open the door as she ran her fingers along the clothing that she had tucked away. “I need to change,” she whispered, grabbing a simple, black dress. “Could you step outside?”

“Of course princess,” he said, taking his leave but remaining outside the room, but making sure to shut the door in the process. 

Lily stepped into the bathroom and set her dress on a hook on the back of the bathroom door. She slipped off her robe and her nightgown before leaning against the marble vanity as she looked up at her nude form in the mirror. She could feel anxiety in her chest growing almost tightening in her chest all the while tears fell down her cheeks. She cursed inwardly as she wiped her eyes. The memories filled her mind of her father’s murder… his assassination… replayed in her mind.

Why couldn’t she move past?

Her hand reached out and turned the water on the faucet on before splashing water on her face to try and gain some sense of calm back in her brain. The cool water against her face allowed her to break free for a moment from her memories… the pain. She raised up, grabbing the towel before drying her face. She threw down the towel before grabbing her dress and slipping into the black dress, it stopping just above her knees. She grabbed a pair of black heels before stepping back into her bedroom and checking herself over into the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom. Her brow furrowed as she attempted to reach behind her to paw at the zipper in the back of her dress, attempting to zip up her dress.

“Damn it!” she cursed.

“Princess?”

It was Mr. Jones’s voice coming from the hallway.

“I-I’m fine. I just can’t zip my dress. I’ll figure it out…” she mumbled. “You don’t need to come in…” The door opened anyway, as Mr. Jones stepped into her bedroom causing her face to heat up with embarrassment again. “I said I didn’t-”

Before she knew it, he was standing behind her his eyes peering at her through the mirror before his gaze fell to her back. His fingers gingerly touched the metal zipper while his fingers ran up along her spine as the zipper moved upward. Lily’s body froze, staring at him in the reflection. Goosebumps moved upward along with his touch, something she had not even felt with Sweet Pea’s touch… His blue eyes lingered in the mirror locked with her own gaze, watching her carefully with an almost dreamlike expression… as if they had been here before.

...did he not understanding just how intimate this sort of touch was? What sort of game was he playing? 

“There,” he whispered, stepping away from her as he finished zipping up her dress.

Lily quickly moved away from him in an attempt to hide the expression on her face as she quickly slipped on her heels. “T-thank you,” she said, brushing off her dress.

“Shall we go then?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, walking out of the room. Mr. Jones seemed to follow close behind her before she walked into an office. She took a seat in a chair near the back of the room as Jughead stood off to the side of her. “Do you have to follow me around in the house?” she asked.

“Orders.”

The princess rolled her eyes as she stared down at paperwork left over for her signature for her father’s funeral. Her eyes scanned the wording on the paperwork, feeling Mr. Jones’s eyes burning into her back as if he was staring at her. Why did he insist on staring at her all the time?

Well. She barely knew him and perhaps this was some silly order Sweet Pea had given him. In fact, where had he found this bodyguard? He obviously wasn’t a member of their military… Sweet Pea was more than likely going to take his father’s place as general as well as rule beside her in the monarchy. But… why would he pick some stranger?

“So Mr. Jones,” she said, turning in her chair to look up at him. “That’s your name correct?”

“Yes Princess…” he replied. “Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third…”

“Family name?”

He gave her a small nod. 

“So is Lillian,” she replied, leaning back in her chair. “Grandmother’s name… I-I never knew her but my father said I’m exactly like her. Ironically. I always hated lilies because of my name.” A light laugh escaped her lips. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Sweet Pea insists on buying me lilies no matter how much they disgust me. Sometimes I wonder if he actually knows me…”

“Forgive me for saying Princess…” he said, stepping toward her. “Perhaps he doesn’t know that you don’t like them?”

She fell quiet for a moment, looking up at the bodyguard with a rather curious expression as she tried to gauge his thinking. His blue eyes stared right back into hers. “...point taken…”

“Communicating is key in most relationships,” he added. 

Her lips cracked into a smile. “You do understand royal marriages have nothing to do with love,” she replied. “All about the survival of the monarchy… it’s not about love. More or less a partnership.”

“Do you not love your fiancé?”

Lily paused as the words echoed in her mind. She knew the answer. She knew it very well. No, she did not love Sweet Pea at all. It was just a lucky draw that their friendship as kids seemed to make the arranged marriage less of a hassle for both of them. Her eyes fell to her desk… looking over the paperwork that littered it just waiting for her signatures. 

“I was out of line princess. I apologize.”

Raising her hand, Lily shook her head as she looked back at him. “I do not,” she replied. “And it wasn’t out of line.”

“May I ask why you would want to marry him then?”

“As I said before,” she began. “Royal marriages are partnerships to ensure the survival of the monarchy. Not acts of love.”

Her bodyguard fell silent as if trying to understand what she had said. “Princess?”

She smiled. “You may call me Lily. No need to be so formal as I see we’ll be together a lot in the future…”

It was his turn to smile, breaking his stoic expression. “If I may ask,” he murmured. “You may call me Jughead.”

“Jughead?” She giggled. 

His face flushed. “It’s a nickname. I actually hate being called by my real name.”

“I’ll try to remember that, Mr. Jones,” Lily whispered.

* * *

Lightning flashed through the window, illuminating the darkened room as the thunder roared, causing Lily to shoot up in bed, clutching the blankets to her chest. Panting, she turned to face the raging storm outside, biting her lip out of sheer nervousness. How fitting for a storm to hit, she thought as the rain pounded against the panes of glass that faced toward the garden. It seemed to match the thoughts that were plaguing her mind.

She was hyper fixated on what had actually happened to her father… who had done it? Why it had been done? Who could do such a horrible thing to such a kind, and gentle king? She had never known her father to be cruel, firm yes, but never cruel. She brought her hands up to her face, letting out a loud sigh as she tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

Lily slipped out of bed, grabbing her robe to wrap around her body. Pacing, she clutched her robe around her body as her thoughts began racing, flashing back to the night of her engagement party, replaying each event… Maybe if she hadn’t snuck off to speak to Sweet Pea… “Damn it,” she cursed, biting down on her lower lip. She felt the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, having not realized just how hard she had done so.

“I can’t think here,” she said simply as she moved to grab her jacket from her closet. She wrapped the coat around her body, making sure to button each fasten before throwing the hood up over her head. “There’s one place…”

A small sigh fell from her lips as she slipped on a pair of boots and opened the door, trying to silently close it behind her. Her eyes swept up and down the corridors before making her way down quickly and silently, making sure to dodge guards along the way. Hopefully, no one would notice her absence… She quietly made her way outside and through the garden as rain pounded down overhead before slipping into the forested area behind the mansion… a place she and Sweet Pea and their other friends used to run away to as children.

Fox Forest.

The rain was less intense, having the trees and leaves buffering the droplets overhead. She searched around, looking for a sign of the place they used to run off to as kids… a clubhouse of sorts. When they were just silly, little children… with silly, little dreams.

A smile curled over lips as she found the small stick he had placed in the ground so many years ago to mark the place they would hide away from their parents in… and underneath a pile of brush and branches… a small door. She twisted the knob before opening the door, revealing a bunker almost. Their clubhouse. She slowly climbed down the ladder, before hopping off before the last couple of steps.

Rubbing her eyes, she took a seat at one of the chairs, enjoying the silence as her mind began to settle down. “Okay,” she breathed out. “Let’s sort this out…”

Lily began to comb through her memories, trying to pinpoint who could have possibly done this to her father. She replayed the memories, memorizing each face that came to pass in her memory. She remembered Sweet Pea’s father nearby, right next to her father. His closest friend, how could this have happened with the head of the military there beside him? She chewed on her lip, causing it to bleed from the small nip she had made before. Cursing, Lily wiped the blood away with the cuff of her sleeve.

“If his father was nearby… that’s the head of our military,” she mused aloud. “It had to be someone they both trusted. They both knew the person to get those close to my father.” 

The thought alone was haunting, and suddenly it made sense why Sweet Pea had commissioned a stranger as a bodyguard for her. Perhaps, he had already made the connection that the assassin was someone within their own midst. A chill fell over as Lily shivered, pulling her coat tighter to her body.

“But why?”

“Princess?”

Lily’s eyes snapped up as she jumped to her feet, noticing that in fact, Jughead had somehow managed to track her down. “How!?” she said. “How did you find me?!”

His lips cracked into a smirk. “There are security cameras outside your room, Princess. It’s fairly easy to realize you had taken off,” he explained, shrugging his shoulders as he looked around the clubhouse. “A better question would be why are you here?”

Her shoulders slumped forward as she fell back in her chair to sit once again as she let out a painful groan at him finding her in such a bizarre place for a princess. Her eyes fell to the floor as she motioned to Jughead to take a seat with her. “It’s a clubhouse… Sweet Pea and I, when we were kids, had loads of friends… We would all run away and hide and play for hours… It’s the only place I feel like I can think sometimes. Silly I know,” she admitted.

His eyes narrowed at her almost as if he were gauging her now. “How is it silly?”

“A princess playing in a dirty place like this?” she suggested. “My father hated it… Sweet Pea always gets on my case about sneaking away here, even now. It’s not proper.”

Jughead leaned over and rested his arms against his legs. “If I may,” he began. “I believe it makes you more human…”

Her eyes snapped up to him, not completely understanding what he was saying. “What?”

“Just hear me out,” he chuckled. “Princesses are always expected to be clean and well kept… but let’s face it. No one out there has everything all together, right?”

Lily gave him a small nod. “Go on…”

“So the fact you have little quirks about your personality, like running off to some dirty clubhouse in the woods,” he continued. “It makes you more likable… More like the common people.”

Laughing, Lily brushed her hands through her hair. “I don’t understand you, Mr. Jones,” she said, her eyes watching him carefully. “You’ve been here all of one day… and you think you know me oh so well already?”

His blue eyes fell to his lap. “I know you better than you think,” he murmured.

“Excuse me?”

His eyes snapped up to meet her as a chuckle broke the seriousness of the conversation. “Nothing,” he commented. “Social media and the news pretty much expose everything about you.”

“O-oh,” she sighed, looking away. “Social media is a nightmare for my family. Imagine if the media got a hold of the upcoming queen rolling around in the dirt.”

Jughead leaned in closer to her as he placed a hand over hers. “Princess…”

Pausing, Lily stared at his hand over hers, almost enjoying the closeness of someone. A feeling she felt she hadn’t experienced in years. His touch was so gentle… so comforting, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Something she needed. Her cold hand warmed almost instantly against his body heat, almost making her heart rate quicken at almost the familiarity of his grasp…

“Mr. Jones,” she questioned. “...have we met before?”

“Of course not,” Jughead said, smiling at her. “We just met this morning.”

There it was again, his eyes lingering over her face and body… as if he knew something.

“A-are you sure?” she asked. “You...you’re staring at me?”

His cheeks heated up as he pulled his hand away. “Forgive me.”

A giggle bubbled from her throat as she reached out and touched his hand with both of hers. “It’s alright,” she whispered. “I’m sure it’s overwhelming being around so many royals. It’s just that… you just seem awfully familiar.”

Shaking his head, he let out a small sigh. “So what were you really doing in here?”

“...trying to remember anything from that night…”

“When your father-?”

She gave him a small nod. “I’m trying to think of who it could possibly be… It has to be someone close to my father because even Sweet Pea’s father was comfortable with whoever it was near…”

Jughead’s brow furrowed. “Someone on the inside?”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” she replied. “I’m assuming Sweet Pea already guessed that and it explains why he hired someone from outside our own people to protect me…”

“I’m sure it’s probably something that most bodyguards for your family don’t do,” he murmured. “But perhaps… I could help you?”

“Help? How?”

A frustrated sigh fell from his lips as he leaned back against the back of his chair. His arms rested behind his head as he took another glance at the fair-haired princess, who remained staring back at him for any type of answers. “...I dabbled in murder cases before I took this job,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Trust me. I can help.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “And why do you want to help me?”

“A girl that just wants answers about her father’s untimely death,” he responded. “Do I need an ulterior motive?”

Rolling her eyes, Lily continued to watch him. “I’m not sure I trust you, Mr. Jones.”

“Do you trust anyone?”  
  


“Right now?” she asked. “Not particularly.”

Jughead leaned in and smirked at her. “You have to trust someone, sometime.”

Staring at him, the statement seemed to ring a bell in her mind, wondering where she had heard that before in her life. Perhaps Sweet Pea, she wondered. His eyes stared back into her… those striking blue eyes. She felt… a strange sense of deja vu.

“Do you trust me?” he asked again, breaking her of her thoughts. “I promise… we’ll find the answers you seek.”

His words echoed in her mind, almost as if trying to bring up some memories she had locked away for years. A stranger in her mansion… asking her, the future queen, to trust him to aid her in her father’s murder case. Honestly, what choice did she have at this rate? Sweet Pea would never allow her to get near the case… neither would the guards or police. Always to remain quiet… and pure. A princess. 

Perhaps… this wasn’t too much of a stretch for even her.

And for some reason, she found his words to be truthful.

“...yes,” she whispered to him as a smirk spread across her lips. “Mr. Jones… I do.” He outstretched his hand to her as she took it as well, shaking on their arrangement. “We must work in secret until we have concrete answers, Mr. Jones. Or we risk you getting fired or worse… them locking me away until they figure out who my father’s butcher was.”

“Agreed,” he said, pulling his hand away from her.

Her green eyes flashed mischievously. “Where do we begin?”

“Take me to where it all started…”


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

  
  


The corridors were empty as Lily led Mr. Jones along the many twists and turns as the two made their way toward the dining room. Her eyes made a quick sweep of the hallway as they reached the double door before she swung them open, pulling him inside quickly. Shutting the door behind her, Lily took a deep breath as her eyes glanced around the room she refused to even look at for the past two weeks. It had been cleaned… no signs of blood were left…

“Here,” she whispered, pointing to s place on the carpet. “It was here… this is where we found him.”

Mr. Jones kneeled down next to the place Lily had found her father take his last breath, his eyes squinting as if he were lost in thought. His blue eyes darted across the carpeted floor to random places around the room. “So it happened right here?” he asked. “Stabbing or gunshot?”

“I assume a gunshot…” Lily said. “I heard the shot so did Sweet Pea.”

Standing up to his feet, Mr. Jones scanned the empty room as he paid close attention to the white walls that surrounded them. “Are you sure?” he asked, walking away from her to examine a certain area of the wall. “Did you see a gunshot wound on him?”

“I-I really didn’t have a moment to really look,” she whispered to him, looking away.

His eyes flickered up to her, noting the hurt expression flashing over her features. “I apologize, Princess,” he said, gently. “I sometimes forget how raw these emotions are for other people when I get into this mode.”

Lily shook her head, forcing a smile on her face as she walked toward the wall. “So what do you mean?” she asked. Pointing to a spot on the wall, Lily noticing a small hole that she knew hadn’t been there before. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Mr. Jones kneeled down and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed his finger against the touch screen, activating the flashlight on the back of his phone. “A hole?” Lily asked, confused.

“It’s metal,” he commented as he moved the flashlight of his phone along the phone. “There’s metal inside. I suspect a bullet. In the other direction your father was… Was there blood splatter?”

An uncomfortable look flashed over her features as she forced herself to comb her memory once again. As a matter of fact… “No,” she said. “There wasn’t. Only a puddle on the floor… and blood on the General.”

“Someone tried to shoot the person who assassinated your father. It wasn’t a gunshot. He was stabbed.”

“Stabbed,” she repeated. “How...how can you even tell?”

“There would’ve been more splatter that you remembered. Stabbing in close quarters typically only the victim and the assailant get splatter on them unless there’s a huge struggle. Someone close to your father. Your suspicions are well placed, Princess. This is someone inside his own men.”

“And someone attempted to shoot the person who did it?”

“Seems that way. With the direction of the bullet, it was taken from behind your father’s position so the splatter would’ve flown… and someone saw something.”

Lily's eyes widened as she touched Mr. Jones’s arm. “Someone knows? Someone saw!?”

“If I had a blue light I could see more residue of the blood matter leftover from after your maids cleaned everything,” he mused. “But unfortunately… I don’t. I am, however, very interested in what the General saw being next to your father at the time.” He raised back up to his feet, cutting off the flashlight option on his phone as his eyes fell to Lily’s hand still on his arm. Clearing his throat, he pulled his arm away from her before walking back toward the door to the hallway.

“Don’t you think we need to tell Sweet Pea?” Lily said, her eyes wide. “This could be huge!”

Mr. Jones glanced at her as a brief smile appeared over his lips. “I fear it’s a little too soon to take our concerns to him,” he replied, looking back toward the door. “I honestly suspect his father in this murder right now.”

Lily stumbled back a few steps at his words. “You suspect Sweet Pea’s father?!” she hissed at him. “He’s been devoted to my father for years! His son is to marry me! Why… why him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mr. Jones sighed. “In order to get his son to be king just even a fraction of a bit faster.”

  
Her lips fell into a frown. “...Sweet Pea would never want that… Not this way.”

“I’m not so sure he knows what happened, not with how he responded with a bodyguard outside the military for you… But I do think you’re right. He also suspects someone on the inside.”

Lily turned away from him as she began to pace back and forth, chewing on her thumbnail as her nerves began to overtake her mind. Her thoughts of that night flashbacked in her mind as she took in the details of the blood, remember the blood wasn’t exactly splattered on the General… more like it had been smeared on him. As if a body fell onto him and slipped to the floor. Oh God, was Mr. Jones actually right? Was it Sweet Pea’s father…? Nausea filled her stomach as she couldn’t begin to fathom the thought… And how it would utterly destroy Sweet Pea and his heroic view of his father. 

She took a deep breath before stopping in her tracks. “So… let’s say you’re right,” she said. “What if it is him? What do we do?”

“Tread lightly, Princess,” he replied, lowering his voice as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Until the time is right. We need more evidence. More proof. I need time to comb the grounds… his office everything… Are you willing to help me? If it is him, you’re going to be Queen and it will be your duty to punish him accordingly.”

Swallowing hard, Lily let out the breath she had been holding. “I already told you I was more than willing to find my father’s killer,” she said, quietly. “So what next?”

“You rest not, Princess… We’ve done enough tonight. I’ve pushed you more than I probably should’ve, making you remember gruesome details of your father’s death,” he said, gently before tucking a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Rest now.”

\---

Her eyes scanned the room as men continued to speak to her, almost talking over one another as her mind drifted to anywhere but here. Her gaze fell to the mahogany desk under her hands as her eyes skimmed over the words on the paperwork in front of her. How could she be expected to sit here and listen to their nonsense when it was more than likely one of them had been involved in her father’s murder. Instead, it was her duty to sit here and endure the inner turmoil raging inside of her mind.

Lily chewed on her lower lip before glancing over her shoulder at Mr. Jones, standing behind her… stoic as ever. No readable expression could be found on his face as he remained staring ahead of him. How she wished she could even have a moment to sort out her thoughts with him… without all the distractions of her kingdom.

Her father’s murder weighed more on her mind with each passing day. She tapped the pen in her hand against the desk, while resting her chin in her free hand. The voices of her advisors were growing louder in volume but she felt herself fading further and further away from the reality they were in… escaping to her memories. 

“Princess we must-”

Her green eyes snapped upward at one advisor before letting out a frustrated sigh. “Leave it here,” she said, quietly. “I must read over it before I make a decision on whatever tax plan you’ve come up with now.”

“O-of course, your grace,” her advisor said, setting down a stack of white papers for her to thumb through. Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her eyes feeling overwhelmed once again.

“I can’t concentrate with all this bickering,” Lily said, her voice growing sharper. “Leave me to decide. I shall call when I’m ready to make a decision.” With a wave of her hand, her advisors quickly exited the office. A sigh fell from her lips as she watched the door finally shut.

Sweet silence.

“Princess?”

Her attention turned to Mr. Jones, standing behind her. “Yes?”

“Stressed?”

“...you could say that.”

His blue eyes met her gaze. “I fear this is partially my fault,” he said, his head lowering to look at the floor. “I never-”

“You helping look into my father’s murder isn’t stressing me out if that’s what you’re getting at,” Lily said, cutting him off. A smirk curled over lips. “My father’s advisors all think I’m an idiot because I’m a woman… what they don’t know is that my father made sure to teach me all about taxes and politics as I was growing up. They’re trying to push their own agendas not what is best for the country. I am not stupid.”

“Why Princess,” Mr. Jones said, now smirking back at her. “I never once believed you were stupid-”

The door to her office swung open as Sweet Pea entered with his father trailing behind him as Lily nearly stiffened in her chair. A hand was placed on her shoulder as she glanced to find Mr. Jones trying to comfort her in the face of who might have actually murdered her father. Her shoulders relaxed slightly while remaining in a proper posture.

“Hello darling,” she said, greeting her betrothed.

“Have you finished your orders for the day?” Sweet Pea asked, flashing a playful grin at her. “I was hoping we could possibly take a walk through the gardens together and discuss some wedding plans.”

Rolling her eyes, Lily began straightening up her desk as she placed different paperwork into different colored folders to help her organize what each form was for. “After my father’s funeral,” she replied. “We’ll continue wedding talk.”

His father took a step forward. “Oh if you need more planning, I can surely-”

“No.”

His brow furrowed. “No?”

“I am more than capable of finishing the preparations of my own father’s funeral. Thank you, sir.”

“Of course you are, your grace-”

“Then you may take your leave. When I need military council I’ll be sure to call upon you both,” Lily said, sharply.

Sweet Pea flinched at her words as his father exited the office. “Lily,” he said, stepping forward. “I don’t understand. Are-are you angry with me?”

Lily waved her hand as Mr. Jones moved to shut the door to her office and stand against the door to make sure no one else would interrupt the two. “I’m not angry at you,” she whispered, letting out a frustrated sigh. “But… I know you’ve always wanted me to be able to confide in you.”

Nodding, Sweet Pea moved to kneel down next to his future bride. “Always.”

“I fear my father’s murderer is inside these walls,” Lily whispered to him. “And I feel like no one is going to find who it is… and what if, what if I’m next?”

Sweet Pea took her hands within his own as he leaned closer toward her. “I would never let anyone harm you,” he assured her, rubbing his thumbs against her skin. “I know this marriage was arranged when we were kids but I would give my life for you. You’re the crowned princess…”

Her eyes softened at his sentiment as she pulled one hand out of his grip and gently stroked his cheek with her thumb. “Nathaniel,” she whispered to him, smiling. “You are the most selfless man I know and thank you for always protecting me.”

“It’s why I hired a bodyguard for you,” he said, looking away. “I know you’re stronger than any woman I know but… if something happened to you and your lineage-”

“Mr. Jones will keep me safe,” Lily replied. “You can believe that.”

Sweet Pea stood up as he brushed his pants off with his hands before turning his attention to Mr. Jones who still remained standing by the door. “Protect her,” he said. “With your life. Do you hear me?”

Mr. Jones nodded. “Of course, sir. I would give my life for her, gladly.”

Lily’s eyes snapped to his gaze, finding him looking past Sweet Pea and staring at her again as a strange sense of deja vu began to overtake her. The words she spoke...where had she heard that before? Was it something Sweet Pea had said to her when they were kids and playing as if they were king and queen? She combed her childhood memories. Why couldn’t she pinpoint this one?

“Princess are you alright?” Mr. Jones said.

Standing up, Lily forced herself to smile. “I-I’m fine. Just a headache,” she assured him. “Perhaps I should lie down for a little while until I feel better. Too much reading obviously.”

“I’ll escort you-”

Lily turned to look at Sweet Pea. “I’m sure you have more important things to do than walk me to my bedroom. Mr. Jones can surely accompany me. I’m alright Sweet Pea, I promise. Just a headache,” she said as she left her office with Mr. Jones.

\---

_ Her eyes opened as she realized she was standing outside Fox Forest. The wind picked up, catching her blonde hair in the breeze. “Where is he?” she whispered, frowning as she glanced down at the plain dress she wore.  _

_ “Lily!” _

_ She looked up to see a boy with bright, blue eyes and his wispy dark hair feathered over his forehead, waving to her as he giggled. Her eyes lit up as she quickly ran to him before throwing her arms around his neck, knocking him over. They two children squealed with laughter as they rolled around in the grass together. _

_ “Come on!” he said, jumping up to his feet. “Let’s go explore the forest some more!” _

_ Lily giggled as she jumped to her feet as well. “Yes!” she squealed, rushing after the boy as they rushed into Fox Forest. “Maybe we can find a place for our clubhouse!” _

_ He grinned at her over his shoulder. “Yes! Let’s find the perfect place okay! Deep in the forest so none of the grownups can find us!” he exclaimed. “Come on Lily!” _

Lily shot up in bed as she clutched her sheets to her body. She looked around her bedroom, realizing it had been just a dream. Rubbing her temples, Lily wasn’t sure if that was actually a dream or some sort of memory that she may have lost. The boy… he seemed so real, so familiar. 

“Who was that?” she questioned as she chewed on her lower lip. “It had to be just a dream… Sweet Pea and I were the ones that found that clubhouse… right? Sweet Pea doesn’t have blue eyes. A frustrated sigh fell from her lips as she fell backward onto her pillow. Staring up at the ceiling, she dreaded the idea of waking up for the day. These bizarre dreams had started replacing the flashbacks of her father’s murder recently. But only in fracture segments, seemingly out of order. Always with the same blue-eyed boy.

The sun had just begun peeking through the veil curtains that covered her windows that outlooked the back gardens. Soon… her servants would be arriving to wake her, forcing her into proper attire and into that horrible office to listen to the constant droning of the advisors. Just like clockwork around here. Every. Single. Day.

A knock on her door jarred her from her thoughts as she sat back up in bed. “I’ll be up in a moment,” Lily called out, assuming it was one of her servants coming to wake her.

“Princess, it’s me.”

Her face almost lit up at the realization that no one was coming to bother her, just yet, as she threw back her blankets and rushed to the door. She opened the double doors to her bedroom, smiling at her bodyguard. It was strange, but she felt a sense of relief and comfort around him that she didn’t seem she had with anyone else.

“Good morning, Mr. Jones,” she said, stepping aside to allow him into her bedroom. “Did you need something?”

Stepping inside her bedroom, he looked around the room as if it were the first time he had ever seen it. “Just checking to make sure you’re alright,” he said. “I know the other day was-”

“There will be more of those days to come,” Lily said, shutting the door behind her once he was far enough into her bedroom. She moved to sit at her vanity, checking her reflection for any signs of flaws and sleepiness left on her face. “As long as I know I’m not an idiot… that’s all that matters.”

Mr. Jones smirked at her through the reflection in her mirror. “You are far from stupid, Princess,” he said. “In fact, anyone who would believe you’re an idiot just because you’re a woman… is an idiot.”

Her green eyes narrowed playfully at him. “Oh? And you just assume that because I told you I’m smart I am?”

“No, your grace,” he commented lightly. “I know for a fact you are.”

Confusion filled her expression as she turned around in her chair to face him. “And how do you know that?” she asked.

“It will make sense one day,” he commented back.

“More mystery?” she teased.

Chuckling, Mr. Jones moved away from her. “Where’s the fun in giving all the answers right away?”

Rolling her eyes, Lily turned back to her vanity as she began applying her makeup to her face. She noticed him watching her movements carefully in the mirror with a slight interest. She gave a small smile as she glanced at him until she began focusing on applying mascara to her lashes. “I’ve been having strange dreams lately,” she admitted.

  
“About what?”

“A little boy and me… and I cannot remember him for the life of me,” Lily said, sighing. “I’m not sure what’s going on.” She watched in the mirror as Mr. Jones crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to watch her carefully. She gently ran the rather large, fluffy brush along her cheeks to apply powder to set her makeup. Her eyes returned back to her own reflection as her mind began wandering back into the memory of her dreams… the recurring dreams.

“What did he look like?” Mr. Jones asked softly.

A sigh fell from her lips as she placed the powder brush back onto her vanity. “He...he had the most striking blue eyes I had ever seen,” she commented. “I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere-” Pausing mid-sentence, Lily’s eyes widened before turning to stare at the gentleman behind her. Her emerald orbs squinted as she nearly jumped to her feet, taking a few steps toward him as she examined his face carefully. “Are you sure,” she whispered to him. “That we’ve never met before?”

Mr. Jones took a step back as he attempted to avoid her gaze at all costs but found himself falling victim to the green-eyed stare of the princess. “No Princess…”

Unsure she believed him, Lily stood up from her vanity and made her way to her closet and pulled out a fairly simple dress before disappearing into her bathroom. Moments later, she reappeared, sporting the dress with a smile on her face. “So. Mr. Jones,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “Why have you come so early?”

A small grin curled over his lips as he watched her before loud knocks could be heard from her door. His eyes narrowed as he turned, noting the knocks seemed fairly intense for any of her servants… Lily turned to grasp the handles to her bedroom doors again before Mr. Jones quickly grabbed her arms. A finger came to his lips to silence her as he placed his ear to the door. Men’s voices could be heard outside… four or five perhaps?

“Do you trust me?” he whispered to her.

The princess was silent as her hand slipped from the doorknobs. “Yes…” she whispered back. “I do.”

Mr. Jones was silent as he moved swiftly through her room, grabbed a bag. “Pack important belongings…” he mumbled before reaching into the waistband of his pants and pulling out a small gun. “I think they know we’ve been poking around…”

“Princess!”

Lily’s eyes widened in fear as she could feel her hands trembling. She sprinted around the room as she gathered her cell phone before stuffing a few articles of clothing into the bag before racing to the safe in her room.

“Princess!” one man yelled from the other side of her door. “Open up!”

The men were shouting louder as the intensity of their knocks increased. Mr. Jones placed his hand on the doorknob to keep the door still as he gave her a reassuring smile. “Faster, princess,” he told her gently.

Her hands trembled again as she twisted the lock to unlock the safe. She heard a soft click as she pulled the lever back and opened the safe… inside were important documents her father had entrusted to her before his untimely death, along with a special necklace her mother had customized for her back when she was merely a baby to wear when she was queen, something so special to her - she just couldn’t leave it behind. She stuffed the items into the bag before turning back to her bodyguard.

“I’m ready,” she whispered to him before letting out a shaky breath. “What next?”

Mr. Jones moved away from the door as the knocks grew more and more impatient with her lack of attention. He took a hold of her hand within his own as he led her to the door that led out onto the balcony. “We have to climb down.”

Lily pulled open the doors as the sun nearly blinded her as she felt Mr. Jones tug her outside. There was a trellis next to her balcony that years worth of vines had grown up over and covered, a perfect way to escape. Taking a deep breath, Lily found herself quickly making her way down the many vines and to the ground as she heard the door to her bedroom burst open. 

“You know where to run to,” Mr. Jones said, who remained on her balcony. “I’ll meet you there… Go!” His attention turned back to the men who were approaching him armed with guns. “If you want the princess… You have to get through my dead body…”

Lily’s eyes widened in fear again as she began hearing gunshots as she quickly took off into Fox Forest. She stopped for a moment as she looked over her shoulder to see Mr. Jones shooting back at the armed men as he made his way down the trellis until another shot was heard and to her horror she watched him fall to the ground after a shot ran through his body.

“Mr. Jones!” she screamed before turning back toward the forest, knowing he would have yelled at her for defying her orders.

Tears pricked at her dry eyes as she stumbled through the heavily wooded forest as she searched for her hiding place… He promised her he would come, right? She stumbled through the brush as she finally found the stick she had placed into the ground so many years ago as she forced herself to open the lever to the bunker and slip inside. She pulled the door shut, locking it again as she made her way deeper in the hideaway.

Her body trembled as her back hit the wall and she slid to the floor. A sob escaped her throat as the memory replayed in her mind of the only person she could ever trust, was gunned down protecting her. But he promised, she forced herself to remember. He promised her he would meet her here… no matter what. Shivering, Lily glanced over the state of her dress, frowning at the dirt that covered her legs and dress and even her shoes. “Daddy would hate how dirty I look,” she whispered to herself as she reached to the small cot and pulled the thining blanket over her shivering body.

She slowly wiped her eyes, trying to distract her mind from everything that had just transpired. Had she truly lost everything she had known? Her home? Her family? Everything? She nervously chewed on her lower lip as she sorted through the overwhelming thoughts in her mind… as panic began to set in, realizing she was truly...alone.

The handle to the bunker moved, causing Lily to jump to her feet as she clutched the blanket tighter to her body. Who had found her? Was this it? Was she about to die just as her mother and father had? She backed away further into the bunker as hear begun to set in…

“Who’s there!” she demanded.

“...I told you,” mumbled a familiar voice as the bunker door shut. “I would meet you here.”

Her green eyes widened as she rushed to his side, immediately throwing her arms around her savior. “Mr. Jones!” she cried out, burying her face into his chest. She could feel his arms weakly move around her before she pulled away, noting he was bleeding heavily from his gunshots wounds. “You’re hurt,” she whispered, touching his arms and guiding him further into the bunker. “Let me look…”

Mr. Jones made a face as he quickly stripped off his shirt as his face flushed with embarrassment. A small giggle escaped from Lily’s throat, noting how uncomfortable he was as her fingers gingerly moved over the two small shots on his chest as blood still poured from each one. And while Lily tried to remain quiet, her nervousness was evident in her touch as she slowly peeled her eyes away from his chest. She noted the exit wounds so luckily the bullets hadn’t lodged into his body. 

“What to do?” she asked herself as she looked around the bunker for anything to at least bandage him even temporarily until they could get to proper medical supplies. She glanced at the tattered ends of her dress, before ripping two long pieces off of it and beginning to dress the wounds. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” he whispered. “Are you?”

Lily’s lips curled up into a smile as her eyes glanced up at him. “Shaken up but I’m okay…”

Mr. Jones let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god you’re okay…” he mumbled before his hand reached out and threaded through her blonde hair. The touch alone seemed to settle some of Lily’s nerves as she leaned her head into his hand as her eyes closed at the sensation. “I’m glad you’re safe… I did my job…”

“Mr. Jones?” Lily whispered to him as her hand placed over his own. 

“Yes?”

“You… you were that little boy, weren’t you?” she asked. “From my dreams.”

Silence filled the bunker as Mr. Jones’s eyes fell to the floor.

“Mr. Jones… please. I need to know.”

His eyes glanced upward to meet her gaze. “...yes.”

“Why did you-?”

A sigh fell from his lips as he looked away from her. “A Princess shouldn’t be with a commoner.”

“But-”

“Nathaniel never took you to those places when you were a child…” Mr. Jones continued. “I took you. We played a lot as kids and you were more adventurous than any girl I had met in my entire life. But one day… you never came back to the woods to play. I came looking for you and realized that the little girl I had always run off with was actually a princess-”

Lily’s eyes softened. “But that shouldn’t have mattered-”

Shaking his head, Mr. Jones rubbed his eyes. “Oh but it did,” he explained. “The General… your fiance’s father… told me long ago that a street rat like me shouldn’t bother a princess. And the next thing I remember was seeing you always with his son from that moment on and I see he went as far as to manipulate your own memories as well…”

Pulling away, Lily frowned as she chewed on her lower lip again. “But...why?”

“We joked when we were kids that we would get married one day and live in our clubhouse…” he continued. “I suspect… Nathaniel’s father overheard you saying it one day and felt he had to intervene for his own gain. When I heard about your father’s murder… I had to come to save you. My paranoia told me his father was in on it and my gut was right…”

“Mr. Jones…”

“I hate being right all the time…”

Lily reached out and touched his face gently. “I’m glad you did… thank you for saving me,” she whispered to him as she flashed him another gentle smile. “I just hope… the kingdom doesn’t suffer too long without me.”

Mr. Jones watched her carefully before he leaned in and touched her face. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he whispered before planting a small kiss on her forehead causing her face to flush now. “So tell me princess,” he asked. “What would you like to do about this?”

“I’m taking back my kingdom of course!” Lily exclaimed. 

Mr. Jones smirked at the fair-haired princess as he watched the excitement flash in her emerald eyes. “And how do you plan on doing that seeing as he has an entire country’s army behind him?” he asked.

“Well, it seems I have a few things Sweet Pea’s father doesn’t,” Lily rattled off.

“Oh?”

Lily immediately turned to the bag of belongings that she had smuggled out of her room as she revealed her cell phone and the stacks of papers her father had given her before his death. “My father’s work,” she said, handing the paperwork over to her bodyguard. “And… I do have another ace in the hole.”

The bodyguard cocked his eyebrow at the young princess. “And what would that be?”

“The General’s son,” Lily explained as she flashed the cell phone and revealing the multiple text messages from Sweet Pea.

“Are you sure you can trust him?”

Lily smiled. “He hired you didn’t he?”

“Touche,” Mr. Jones said, shrugging. “Now these papers…?”

“My father’s work… I suspect he had a suspicion what the general was up to,” Lily whispered as she thumbed through the paperwork and laws. “He gave me these to put in my safe just a week before his death… It has all the laws and taxation my father wanted once I took over in his place, among the royal family tree and who can rule in the event of my father’s death… and it seems my father… was second-guessing my engagement to Sweet Pea, interesting enough. At least… according to this entry.”

“These alone could ruin the general’s attempt to take over as King…”

Lily smirked at him. “Exactly!”

“The only problem is getting close to your home… he has an army behind him.”

The princess sighed as she set the paperwork down. “That is a problem…”

“We could raise support by proving you’re not actually dead. I’m sure the general is trying to gain sympathy through your supposed death,” Mr. Jones said, tapping his chin with his index finger. “They would want to follow the true heir right?”

“The true heir will always have a stronger claim to the throne,” Lily said. “No matter what violence this animal used to take over…”

“It’s a plan then?” Mr. Jones asked.

Smiling, the princess gave him a small nod as she watched Mr. Jones attempt to stand but immediately fall back due to his injuries. “Well perhaps we should wait until you’re healed up a bit more,” she said as her smile grew wider. Her fingers moved to brush through his hair as she helped him walk to the cot. “Rest for now…”

“What about you?”

“I can-”

Mr. Jones let out a sigh as he scooted over in the bed to make room for her. Lily was quiet for a moment as she climbed into the bed next to him, making sure to face away from him. Her face heated up again as she felt his arm snake around her waist. Her hand slowly moved to touch his arm. “Get some rest,” he mumbled, his breath tickling against the back of her neck. 

Shuddering at the sensation of his breath against her neck, Lily attempted to close her eyes to rest, but unfortunately, her mind would not allow her to rest. She wondered about the safety and well being of her mother and the others in her kingdom… Was she actually safe now? Or would everyone find her? There was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight. She let out a frustrated sigh.

Mr. Jones tightened his grip on her waist. “Princess… sleep. I’m here,” he whispered. “You’re safe…”

Lily let out a small squeak of surprise as she settled back against his chest. “Okay…”

“Goodnight, princess…”

“Goodnight Mr. Jones,” she murmured before falling asleep.


End file.
